


Life's River Shall Rise

by waywardkayoss (wyntereyez)



Series: Unfinished and Abandoned Fics [2]
Category: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2002-05-01
Updated: 2002-05-01
Packaged: 2018-11-06 02:57:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11027163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyntereyez/pseuds/waywardkayoss
Summary: Two cadets begin a doomed romance at the Houston Military Academy





	1. A Whole New Year

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published on fanfiction.net under the pseud LadyKayoss from May 1, 2002 to April 13, 2003.
> 
> Warnings: Some racial slurs that I forgot about and am annoyed that I wrote, but I promised I wouldn't 'fix' my old stories, so I'm stuck with them.

LIFE'S RIVER SHALL RISE

Chapter One

A Whole New Year…

Year One: 2056-2057

This year was going to be good, Jane Proudfoot thought as she greeted the friends she hadn't seen in two months. The first year at Houston Military Academy, her brother Louis had told her, was the worst, with the instructors and older cadets pushing the newest ones to their limits, weeding out those too weak in body or spirit to be soldiers. After that, HMA became easier, in a matter of speaking.

Jane was looking forward to this, her second year. Although the classes, mixed with thorough military training, promised to be more rigorous, she knew she could do it. The Proudfoots had a long tradition of military service, and Jane wasn't going to let her family down.

Jane stood at attention in the main hall next to her friends, remembering how, last year, she had been alone and a little frightened as she was scrutinized by the older cadets. There she'd been, a scrawny eighteen-year-old in a crisp new uniform and a face pale despite her best efforts to seem indifferent. Being raised in a military household hadn't quite prepared her for this. 

Now her uniforms were comfortable with use, her body filled out with muscle, and her face remained stoic as she scanned the new cadets.

Over a hundred of them, she observed. A third of them wouldn't last the semester.

All stood attentively as Major Wilkes, the head of the Academy, began his welcoming speech. He explained that the HMA served both as a training center for future USMF soldiers, and as a university, strengthening both body and mind.

Jane had heard it all before. She examined the new cadets, relishing her seniority over them. No longer would she and her fellow year-group be chosen for the most menial tasks!

She turned to her best friend, a woman a year her senior with the unfortunate name of Winnifred – Freddie for short – and smiled faintly. "So, how many do you think will last?" she murmured as Major Wilkes assigned the new cadets to rooms and senior cadets to assist them. Because Jane's room was currently full, she knew they wouldn't be getting any first-years, nor would they be assigned to escort any around. 

Freddie, who had a talent for picking out who could endure the academy and who would wuss out, murmured, "Well, there are five I can already guess won't last the week. Her," she pointed, "him, him, that short girl cowering by the tall black girl, and him." This last was a small, sandy-haired youth who was twitching nervously. Most of his fellow cadets were giving him wide berth, as if sensing he was doomed. "He's the littlest guy here," Freddie observed.

Jane met the younger man's eyes, and he gave her a weak smile before tugging at his disarrayed uniform. _Definitely a goner,_ she thought idly.

The cadets were dismissed, and Jane followed Freddie back to the room they shared with two other girls, where they began to prepare for their first inspection.

* * *

Neil Fleming hadn't realized how… big everyone else would be. He'd been small in school, he knew, but among the military cadets he felt like a gawky teenager who hadn't completely gone through puberty. He was eighteen, dammit! Why did he still look like a child?

The other cadets noticed, too. The third-year who was showing him and three others around kept casting him sympathetic looks and, when he'd stopped to speak with another classmate, Neil was certain he'd heard the first say, "Won't last a week," after a surreptitious glance in his direction.

His older siblings hadn't shown much confidence in him, either. "Your technical skills can serve you better elsewhere," his brother Robert had said. "You don't need to join the military."

Neil would show everyone. He'd become a technician-class Deep Eyes soldier, one of those rare few who had both fighting skills and the knowledge to use almost any kind of hardware or software. It meant he had a bigger classload than most of the other first-years, with some of the classes being at more advanced levels. Meaning he'd be with older cadets, and likely the butt of their pranks.

They'd be surprised. Neil would handle anything they threw at him. He'd roll with the punches, toss a few of his own, and come out on top.

He would make certain he lasted more than a week at the Houston Military Academy.

* * *

"Well, well, if it isn't Cadet Proudfoot," a voice sneered, and Jane stiffened in irritation. She had her first class of term in ten minutes, and she didn't want to waste time talking to the likes of Cadet Peter Harrison.

Jane slowly turned to face the other student. "You remembered my name," she responded coolly. "I'm surprised, considering how few brain cells you have left after you last spoke to me." Harrison didn't frighten her; he was the sort of bully who used his imposing bulk to frighten younger cadets, but never backed up his threats. Jane knew she could take him in a fight, and actually had near the middle of her first year.

"The Indian girl," he said. "How could I forget a stupid name like Proudfoot?" Harrison glared down his broad nose at her.

So he's not going to let that go… Jane was one-quarter Native American, on her father's side, and she was proud of it. When Harrison had ceaselessly tormented her about her heritage the previous year, she had knocked him down, straddled his back, and grabbed his hair, asking if he wanted to be scalped. Since then, Harrison had been wary about getting too close to her. His friends refused to take part in tormenting her at all.

"Perhaps you had to write it on your hand, Harrison?" she spat. Harrison's eyes narrowed.

"That's Cadet Captain Harrison to you," he snarled. "But I wouldn't expect you to know that. I'm surprised a dumb savage like you made it to the second year," Harrison continued when she stared at him numbly. _Cadet Captain?_ "You're daddy must've had to pull a few strings."

Jane bit back her sharp retort. Her father was the other subject of Harrison's bullying. Just because she was the daughter of a general… _A general who's having a hard time staying sober whenever he's home…_ No. She wouldn't think like that. She wouldn't let Harrison get to her. This was his fourth and final year. She could survive him, even if he had somehow made the rank of Cadet Captain.

Ignoring Harrison's taunts, she shoved past him, hurrying to her first class. It was a technical class; the first she was taking at the Academy. HMA not only thoroughly trained soldiers, it offered classes for the USMF scientific division as well. Those students rarely interacted with the cadets, having their own separate wing for barracks. They ate meals and attended classes at different times, as well. However, in this age where science played a large role in the battle with the Phantoms, all soldiers had some scientific classes with the others. Jane wasn't looking forward to it. She far preferred straightforward combat. She just wanted a weapon and a target to shoot it at; she didn't care about the actual mechanics.

It was a moot point. She was stuck with the classes whether she wanted them or not. She entered the classroom, thankfully with minutes to spare, and slipped into one of the few vacant seats before curiously examining her classmates.

About half of them were second-years, like herself, while the others work the pale uniforms of the scientific students. The student diagonally to her left, however, was a surprise. She recognized him as the small first-year Freddie predicted wouldn't last the week. What was he doing here?

Was he training to be a tech? Techs were in short supply, due to the difficulty of the double load of being a soldier and having technical expertise. Techs were often guaranteed a spot in the elite Deep Eyes squads. Jane suppressed a feeling of envy. IF he did the impossible and actually completed his training, he'd fulfill Jane's dream of becoming one of the elite.

The cadet seemed to sense her scrutiny and turned to face her. "Hello," he said, with more cheer than any first year had the right to exhibit. "I'm Neil Fleming." He extended his hand.

Jane eyed it uncertainly, and was saved the awkwardness of responding by the arrival of their instructor. She quickly put the young tech out of her thoughts.

* * *

Neil knew he should be concentrating on the class. After all, it was a challenge few first-years had to sit through. He did listen with half a mind, enough to realize he knew most of what the teacher was covering.

He was far more interested in the girl who had just come in. Despite her small stature, there was an inner strength he could sense, and she carried herself with an ease and confidence he envied. Out of the corner of his eye, he admired her dark eyes, her sharp but attractive features, the dark hair she wore cut to about three inches… He wished he knew her name.

"Does my class bore you, Cadet?" the teacher said suddenly, and it took Neil a moment to realize the man was addressing him.

"No, sir," Neil said hastily. The entire class was looking at him now, and he flushed. "I was paying attention, sir."

"Oh?" the teacher, a middle-aged man in a scientific uniform, arched one brow, then said, "Perhaps you'd care to repeat what I just told the class?"

Everyone was leaning forward now, eager to see a first-year screw up on his first day. Neil smirked. Not today, he thought, and proceeded to repeat what the teacher had said verbatim. 

All the while, he watched the dark-haired girl out of the corner of his eye. She didn't look impressed, he thought glumly. She looked… disgusted. He thought he saw her lips form the words "show off" before she turned away.

_So that's how she is… Perhaps I should try to loosen her up a little…_ Neil halted his recitation, noticing the teacher's impressed look. "Thank you, Cadet…" he trailed off. 

"Fleming," Neil supplied.

"Cadet Fleming. If you understood that as well as you could remember it, then you'll do well in my class."

"Thank you, sir," Neil grinned broadly.

_One week. Hah! If the rest of my classes are like this, then the Academy'll be a piece of cake!_

* * *

At five the next morning, Jane slowly came awake. She was aware of Freddie's cheerful voice rousing their roommates. It should be a crime to be that lively this early in the morning. Jane had tried to keep herself trained to awaken at this time over break, but it had been a poor substitute for the frantic scrambling that ensued to put the room in perfect military order as well as ready themselves for the inevitable morning exercises.

"It'll be better this year," Freddie promised both second-years. Nancy, another third-year, nodded.

"Your bodies will readjust to the rhythm quickly," Nancy said as she precisely folded her bedspread. "The real fun is watching the first-years do this. Too bad you guys aren't first-years still," she said wistfully. "We could use a good laugh."

"Thanks," Lila, their fourth roommate and the other second-year, said sarcastically.

"Once was enough," Jane added.

The girls swiftly readied their rooms, then hurried to the large open area outside the Academy's cluster of buildings. Despite the early hour, the area was permanently awash in light, from the glow of the barrier overhead.

Jane and her roommates had separated into their year groups and were standing at attention by the time the first-years stumbled drearily out. Some of them were already in place, thanks to their roommates, while these others had been left to their own devices, like when Freddie and Nancy had left her and Lila. Surprisingly, the nervous young tech, Fleming or whatever his name was, was among the first kind. Despite his slightly rumpled uniform, something about his confident stance screamed "military family." Hmm… There could be hope for him yet…

She suddenly wondered why she cared. Why had the idiot tried to get her attention, anyway?

The drill sergeant called them all to order, and they went through the morning exercises. While Jane enjoyed the vigorous activities, she couldn't wait for the war games the third-years trained in. But at least this year, they would learn proper equipment management. Jane couldn't wait to get her hands on a gun. She'd already proven herself dangerous in the unarmed combat classes, and couldn't wait to see what she could do against a Phantom in real combat when she had a weapon.

She was a little out of breath when the exercises were over, despite her attempts to keep in shape over the break. But she looked better than most of the first-years, and some seconds, who were keeled over and clutching their sides.

The rest all went to their rooms, changing before going to the mess hall for breakfast.

Jane was just returning to her room when a familiar voice drifted down the hall. "C'mon! Move out of the way! I need to get in!" It was Neil.

"Why?" a voice challenged. Jane slipped down the hall, getting closer to the source. "You think you're so much better than us, just because you're training to be a tech! Well, I don't like your attitude, Mr. High-and-Mighty."

"What?" Neil sounded genuinely baffled.

"You heard me," the other continued. "All your stupid books take up the desk space. All your teachers fawn over you – they always favor techs! You're such a waste of their time, I don't see why you're here. You're too scrawny to be any good at anything, anyway! Why don't you just leave now, before training kills you?"

Jane watched as Neil bristled. "I can handle it," he spat. "Just watch me!"

Neil turned away, ready to go to breakfast without changing if he had to. He didn't see the other youth come up behind him until he was shoved forward into the wall. "Shut up, punk! I'm tired of listening to you – "

"You shut up," Jane said. She grabbed the tormentor from behind and tossed him to the floor. Another first-year, she noted absently. He looked familiar… "Save it for your training. You're going to need all the strength you can get." She gave him a savage grin.

"My brother's Cadet Captain," the youth sneered. "I can do what I want."

"You're brother is Peter Harrison?" she said with surprise. _Great, just when I thought I'd be rid of one…_

"I'm Michael Harrison," he said. "And I'll be sure he hears about this."

Jane's smile only broadened. "Tell him Jane Proudfoot says 'hi.'"

Michael Harrison looked confused. _She was supposed to be intimidated by his threats!_ He scrambled to his feet, turned, and ran.

"You can get in your room now," Jane said. "No one appreciates it when you come to the table smelling like sweat."

"I coulda handled him," Neil said, brushing himself off. "But, er, thanks, Jane. That is your name, right?"

"We aren't on first name basis," she told him acidly. "Don't make me regret saving you."

Neil held up his hands placatingly. "Right, Cadet Proudfoot."

Neil grinned as Jane turned away. As she did, she thought she heard him murmur, "At least now she knows I exist."

To Be Continued…


	2. A Test of Courage

LIFE'S RIVER SHALL RISE

Chapter Two

A Test of Courage

Year One: 2056 - 2057

Freddie nudged Jane in the ribs, and she nearly dropped her books. "Your shadow is following us again."

Jane stifled a groan. For the past month, every time she would turn around, Neil seemed to be right there, just at the edge of the crowd, careful to stay out of speaking distance but always keeping an eye on her. Why did the idiot latch on to her? Why the hell had she saved him, anyway? Cadet Captain Harrison had taken great delight in chewing her out for attacking a first-year, making certain a nearby sergeant had heard every word. She'd spent the following two weeks on latrine duty.

And she'd earned Neil's everlasting gratitude, it seemed. It hadn't bothered her at first, because Freddie had continued to insist Neil wouldn't last the week. But a month had passed, and he still hung on. Jane would admire his determination if he would just leave her alone!

"Can you get rid of him?" Jane hissed. She'd just finished her academic classes for the day, and had an hour to work on homework or study before combat classes began.

Freddie just snorted. "If the drill sergeants had no luck, what makes you think I can?" She patted Jane's shoulder, a sly grin crossing her face. "Besides, I think he likes you! Who am I to stand in the way of 'true love?'" she gushed, laughing as Jane slapped her shoulder.

Jane stalked through the hall, muttering under her breath about traitorous best friends and morons who didn't have a clue.

Arriving at her room several minutes before Freddie, she threw herself across her bed, scattering her books on the bedspread around her. She knew she should be studying for her mathematics exam but, away from the bustle of students and Neil's constant presence, her mind turned to what she had been dreaming of all day.

Today, they would be working with Nocturnes, the bio-etheric weapons that were so effective against Phantoms. Thus far, Jane had been trained with projectile weapons, since the Nocturnes were expensive and only issued to experienced cadets. Jane had only used one once before. To actually be trained with one meant she was closer to becoming a real soldier.

"So today's the big day, huh?" Freddie asked when she came in. Nancy and Lila still hadn't put in an appearance. "They're teaching you the real stuff?"

Jane nodded, barely concealing her eagerness.

"It puts everything into a new perspective," Freddie continued. "You realize that you aren't just a student; you're a soldier, fighting to save the world. Once you learn to use the Nocturnes, the real training begins." Freddie turned to her books, leaving Jane to her thoughts.

This was it… The first two years of HMA were like basic training at boot camp crossed with a college education, over a longer period of time. A cadet could quit after two years and be accepted into the army as if they'd been through boot camp.

The more complicated training in the last two years was optional. Any soldier who wanted an officer's rank had to complete HMA. Anyone aspiring to be a technician, or one of the elite Deep Eyes, was required to finish four years as well. Jane knew many of her classmates would be gone at the end of this term. Jane intended to go all the way through.

"Speaking of Nocturnes," Freddie said slowly, "you've been selected this year to test a cadet."

Jane grimaced. "Oh, no…"

"Yup. I suggest you do it right after the trig test and get it over with," Freddie said. "Just one cadet." There was something about the slant of Freddie's eyebrows, and the sly grin that threatened to break through her serious facade, that made Jane's hackles rise. "It could be a good way to scare Cadet Fleming away from you."

"You didn't suggest…?" Jane choked, outraged.

"Actually, it was Nancy's idea." Freddie grinned finally. "I just… didn't disagree."

Jane groaned, setting down her book. There was no way she could concentrate on studying now.

Every first-year went through a sort of unofficial rite of passage, assisted by an older cadet. The pair would sneak a Nocturne and slip to the city's underbelly, below the habitation level. There they would go to the barrier's edge and locate a Phantom. This was easier below the city because there tended to be more Phantoms at ground level. The cadet would then be urged to destroy a Phantom by shooting it through the barrier. Neither cadet would be in danger, and it weeded out those who couldn't handle being face to face with a Phantom in real combat. This rite had been going on for years, and was supposed to be a secret, though Jane suspected Major Wilkes himself had been initiated in such a way, and turned a blind eye to it. After all, any cadet who was too frightened to shoot a Phantom from a safe position wasn't worth the training and hard work.

"Who decides this?" Jane demanded.

"Third- and fourth-years," Freddie said. "It's entirely random, though. But, I'm afraid you're stuck with Cadet Fleming."

Jane sighed. "All right… I'll take him after I fail trigonometry."

* * *

Neil gathered his books together as quickly as possible and fled the room before any of the others could arrive. Ted and Jason were all right, he supposed, but Cadet Michael Harrison was making his life a living hell. He needed to get to a quiet place to study before the evening classes began.

He'd staked out a small corner of the library as his own two days after Jane had defended him from Harrison. After being made to look like a fool, Michael had increased his verbal attacks on Neil, making studying a difficult task.

Dammit! Why didn't Ted or Jason at least stick up for him? Surely Michael's taunts disrupted their own studies as well! _Must be one of those tests Robert told me about…_ It was bad enough that he had a double load of class work and combat courses where his small size was proving to be a disadvantage. He didn't need this as well. _I'm being tried physically, mentally, and emotionally… C'mon, Neil, you can do it… Only four more years left of this!_

Neil wondered if screaming in the library would get him stuck with kitchen duty.

"Hey," a voice said flatly.

Neil looked up and blinked in astonishment. His pretty savior stood over him, a grim look on her face. Neil wasn't certain he liked the calculating look in her gaze. She's after me… I'm toast! He hadn't meant to hang around her so much… She was in several of his classes, so their paths often crossed. And, he was forced to admit to himself, he figured he'd be less likely to be teased when she was around. From the contemptuous looks she'd given him whenever he got too near, he wondered if she thought he was actively stalking her.

_That might explain why she's looking at me like I'm something disgusting she found on her boot heel…_

"Hello… Cadet Proudfoot," he said carefully. He'd wanted her to notice him, but not like this. Perhaps, if he just had a normal conversation with her… "Can I help you?"

"Meet me here in two nights, after lights out," she said shortly. Neil's jaw dropped.

"Bold, aren't you?" he asked before he could stop himself. 

Jane's disgusted look intensified. "All will be explained then," she said, turning on her heel and stalking out of the library.

Neil was so dumbstruck he nearly missed his next class.

* * *

About half an hour before lights out, Jane was sitting on her bunk, watching Freddie and Nancy enviously. Piled before them were suits of armor, each shiny and new. Freddie was lovingly wiping down her chest plate while Nancy had pulled on her gauntlets and was wiggling her fingers to work out the stiffness. 

"That looks so cool," Lila commented from her bed below Jane. "I can't wait until we get ours next year."

"Quit HMA after this term and join the army. You'll get it sooner," Nancy advised.

"You won't be so eager once you have to maintain it," Freddie said, though there was no real complaint in her voice. "But you should see the Deep Eyes uniforms. They have a lot more gadgets," she said wistfully.

"Their missions are more dangerous, too," Nancy pointed out.

"Speaking of dangerous missions, when are you meeting your little shadow?" Freddie asked.

Jane made a face. "Tonight. Thank you so much, Nancy."

"Better wear that armor to bed tonight," Freddie whispered loudly to Nancy. "I think Cadet Proudfoot is out for your blood."

"Don't mind her," Lila said. "She's just mad she only got a sixty percent on her trig exam."

Jane growled incoherently.

"You know," Freddie said innocently, "Cadet Fleming has been passing his math exams with flying colors. I heard an instructor actually boasting about him. Maybe you could ask him-"

Jane flung her pillow at Freddie, who laughed. "Maybe I should wear my armor tonight, too!"

Jane just glowered, then made a great show of turning back to her homework.

After a few more jokes at her expense, Jane's roommates settled down. They quickly finished what they were doing before lights out, then all flashed Jane knowing grins before their faces were concealed by darkness.

Jane waited for fifteen minutes before slipping out of her bed. She quickly dressed, then picked up her shoes to put on once she had left the HMA. Then, she went to meet Neil. For the last time, she hoped.

* * *

_This is a set up... Jane's doing this as revenge... Any minute now, one of the instructors is going to charge through that door, and I'm going to be expelled..._

The library around Neil was dark without the lit terminals. He anxiously paced the shadowed area, occasionally banging into a half-seen chair. The spacious main room - left open because there was nothing to steal, unlike the locked archives - was silent, and Neil's breathing sounded unnaturally loud in his ears. _She isn't coming! I feel like an idiot. Michael is going to turn me in to his brother, and there goes my Deep Eyes career..._

So lost in thought was he that Neil nearly shrieked when a hand unexpectedly came down on his shoulder. Heart hammering in his chest, Neil whirled to see someone standing behind him, fingers pressed to shadowy lips and a long object slung across one shoulder.

"Jane?" he whispered.

The figure gave an irritated growl. "Shh..." she hissed.

Neil quelled the questions that begged to be asked and followed as she slipped off down the hall. He noticed that she didn't wear any shoes, which explained why he hadn't heard her creep up on him. He paused to yank off his own, then padded silently after her. His uneasiness and suspicion grew as they passed through several silent corridors.

It wasn't until Jane turned down a shadowy hallway Neil had never been down before and stopped before a locked door that Neil realized he was truly in trouble. The locks on the door were old, though hadn't been permitted to rust. Danger signs were plastered all over the metal surface. It was one of the maintenance doors leading to the area below Houston Military Academy.

"We're going down there?" Neil whispered as Jane fished around in her pockets, pulling out a key. With her other hand, she offered him the object she'd been toting – a Nocturne? – then went to work on the padlock.

She opened it with a minimum of difficulty, then slowly pulled open the heavy door. Neil gulped at the lightless depths revealed behind the door. She gestured him forward, pushing him when he hesitated.

_Oh, God, she's going to lock me down here!_ This was worse than being set up for expulsion! Then, to his astonishment, he saw her dim silhouette slip in behind him before shutting the door, plunging them into blackness.

* * *

Neil's breath came in rapid gasps that sounded loud in the tunnel. _Good… He's scared._ Jane dug out her flashlight and turned it on Neil, who winced at the brightness. His face was pale, but he was keeping his emotions under control.

Damn. She'd been hoping for a panic attack.

"You can talk now," Jane said grudgingly.

"Do you treat all guys this way on a first date?" Neil said, his voice cracking slightly.

"Usually I don't kill them until afterwards; I think I'll make an exception with you," she said, her voice hostile.

Neil's grip tightened on the Nocturne, and she suddenly realized that he held the weapon as if it were familiar to him. "Have you used one of those before?" she asked, trying to direct the conversation to a safer subject. While waiting for his response, she yanked her shoes onto her feet, noticing he followed suit.

"I've never fired one, but my father's a captain, and my brother is a sergeant. They've let me handle Nocturnes, and I've been trained with other weapons as well. Robert – my brother – says I have a talent for knife fighting." Neil shrugged his thin shoulders.

_No wonder he's lasted this long; he's grown up in a military atmosphere!_

"Hmph," Jane said, feigning disinterest. Neil could be worth watching, after all.

"If you don't mind me asking," Neil said, as they followed the seldom-used corridor, "what are we doing?"

"An initiation," Jane said. She led him to a spiraling staircase, following subtle marks left by the numerous cadets who had come before. The stairway led down to the interlocking catwalks suspended beneath the city.

When the barriers had been first constructed, the cities had been at ground level. But had been tragically discovered there were disadvantages to this: A city on the ground fell faster to the Phantoms, because they didn't have to climb to reach their prey. Being raised a hundred meters off the ground provided valuable seconds for the populace to escape.

And it had been found that the barriers needed to extend under the cities as well, or the Phantoms would just come up through the ground. Thus an upper layer had been built, with access to lower levels for maintenance.

The lower city made Jane nervous. Honeycombed with girders and supports for the city, it was like a nightmarish spider web. Mixed with the supports were the skeletons of older buildings, lonely structures from better days. The whole area was dead silent but for the groaning of metal and the scuttling of vermin. The only light came from Jane's dim flashlight, small lamps suspended every twenty feet along the catwalks, and the glow of the city's barrier far beneath them. 

"Initiation?" Neil swallowed audibly. "Here?" He gestured with a shaking hand.

"Have you ever seen a Phantom?" Jane asked. Her voice echoed mockingly off the struts around her, and she vowed to keep her voice down from now on. This was too eerie…

"Not up close, no. We're not leaving the barrier, are we?" he choked with sudden realization.

"Nothing that stupid." She explained what they were doing. Keeping a cadet in suspense could only make them more jittery. And knowing ahead of time wouldn't help him anyway if he truly didn't have what it took to be a soldier.

"Oh," Neil said when she'd finished. He sounded relieved, and she couldn't sense any fear in him. True, he lacked the eagerness she'd felt when Freddie had brought her down here, but it was a good sign. _So there is hope for him yet…_

"It's creepy down here," Neil commented. "It's… like a graveyard." He stopped, standing close to one corroded rail and gazed out at the dim buildings.

Jane stayed well back from the rails. While the catwalks were used, it was difficult to keep them all in good repair. Neil must have had a death wish to lean out over that rail and peer into the murky depths below. "I can see the barrier below from here," he said.

"Great," Jane mumbled. "Let's just get this over with, all right?"

"You're not scared, are you?" Neil's voice was almost mocking. _Maybe he's not eager to face a Phantom, but the little bastard's enjoying this!_ Neil leaned as far as he could go over the top rail, and she imagined she could see his mirthful grin in the dark. "You don't like the dark? Or is it the heights?" 

Jane considered pushing him over the edge. "The sooner we get back, the sooner I can get to bed. If you stay up too late, you won't be able to get up for the reveille in the morning. And the barrier's just ahead." She gestured to the brightening glow ahead of them. "Let's move out." She was trying to sound authoritive, but Neil only chuckled.

"Fine," he said, sounding a little sulky. She heard a rattling as he climbed of the catwalk's rail and came up beside her. "Lead on."

Couldn't he take things seriously? Jane fumed as she led him down the weaving path to the barrier's edge. _Idiot! God only knows how he'll handle a crisis situation! He'd laugh at his own funeral!_

So angry was she that she failed to hear the catwalk groan in protest under her; didn't feel the sagging of the metal until the panels split under her weight, and she fell through with a scream.

* * *

Now that he knew he wasn't going to be abandoned beneath the city, Neil was starting to have fun. Sure, the fierce beauty accompanying him wasn't madly in love with him, and the silent, dusty, rusted-out stretch of abandoned city wasn't his ideal date spot, but still… Well, at least he was alone with her. Now, if only he could stop himself from saying the wrong things…

_Right… And maybe I'll save the world using an ice cream scoop and a paper clip…_ Well, it was always possible. If he could just figure out what the right things Jane wanted to hear…

Ahead of him, Jane marched forward, her posture stiff and properly military. _She's taking this way to seriously…_

Neil hastened to catch up to her. He opened his mouth to call out to her, to try to find some way to pry her out of her shell. She'd seemed interested in his military connections… could he use that?

Jane's scream jolted him sharply from his thoughts. He jerked his head towards her in time to see her head disappear through a gaping hole in the metal. "No!" Neil cried, tensing to lunge after her, then stopping himself. The metal around the hole was rusted through and likely wouldn't be able to support his weight. Besides, he was too late. "Shit!"

"Help!" Jane's voice came from below, and the breath Neil hadn't realized he'd been holding was expelled in a gasp. Her voice was close, and she wasn't falling. Had she landed on a walkway below?

"Where are you?" he called. He dropped the Nocturne to the walkway, then lowered himself to his belly to distribute his weight more evenly, and crawled to the edge. "Are you all right? Can you get back up here?"

"I'm below you… under the catwalk! I need help…" Even in an emergency, he noted absently, the admission sounded as if it pained her.

Lowering his head over the edge, Neil peered underneath. He could just make out Jane's form in the shadows, clinging desperately to the supports under the broken section. There were no other walkways below for another fifty or so feet. He'd have to pull her up…

"Any suggestions? I'm not sure I can just lift you up," Neil said desperately. He didn't have the strength to pull up her dangling body, and he didn't think the floor could have taken their combined weight anyway once he had hold of her. "Maybe if you could swing your legs up here, I could grab them and pull you up. That way, you could still support some of your weight with your arms while you hold on… Maybe the floor could take it."

"I'll try, but I'm not that flexible," Jane said. "Get to the hole's edge and try to catch my feet."

Neil crept to the torn metal, feeling it sag under his weight. He examined the situation as he did: The broken section was a hole roughly six feet in diameter. Two of the parallel girders underneath, the two Jane was gripping on to, had been exposed, and they looked firm, but they were only two inches wide. There was no way he'd be able to securely balance on them… and there was such a big drop below…

Jane swung, curving her body almost in half as she tried to bring her ankles into Neil's grasp. One of her legs didn't reach quite so high, and Neil was horrified to see the ragged tear in her pants… the raw flesh beneath… He leaned forward to grab her legs but missed by several inches.

Jane swung backwards, nearly losing her grip in the process. "It's too high," she said miserably. The desperation in Jane's voice tore at Neil. _I won't let you fall… You don't deserve this!_ He pursed his lips thoughtfully as he considered how high Jane had been able to swing herself. It could work…

Neil began to crawl out along the girders, lying flat across the parallel bars, ignoring the metal's sharp bite into his chest and legs. "What are you doing?" Jane asked from below.

"Climb up on me," he commanded. Neil flipped himself over, curling his knees over one bar, then grasping the other and lowering himself until he was suspended beneath them. "Try to get your legs up on me, then crawl over here and climb out."

Jane didn't question him; she flung her body forward, bringing her legs up to land heavily on Neil's chest. His breath was knocked out of him, and he nearly lost his grip. His vision blurred alarmingly, and he had a wave of vertigo as he imagined plummeting to his death…

Now, Jane could reach one leg up and carefully wrap it around one of the bars above Neil, following with her injured right leg. From there, she was able to climb out. Neil, still a little dizzy and breathless from her blow to his ribs, was slow to follow, and she had to help pull him away from the rusted area.

"Are you all right?" Neil gasped.

Jane examined her leg. "It's just a scrape. I'll have to disinfect it and it'll hurt like hell later, but it's nothing bad. What about you?"

"Don't worry… Just a couple of broken ribs and a collapsed lung," he joked weakly. "That's quite a kick you have."

"Hmph," she said. Her expression looked thoughtful in the dim glow of the nearby barrier, and almost… respectful?

"I guess we're even now," Neil said, after finally catching his breath.

"Yeah," she said. Then, hesitantly, "Good work, Cadet Fleming… Neil," she said.

"Let's go back," he said, climbing to his feet. "You need to see a medic – "

Jane grabbed his arm. "We came down here for you to shoot a Phantom and prove your worth," she reminded him.

"You still want me to do that?"

She dropped the Nocturne in his arms. "The barrier's right there," she said firmly. "That should be easy after this. After you saved my hide, do you think I'm going to let you fail this? I don't want to tell anyone I was saved by a wuss."

Neil smiled. "All right. Let's get this over with. But this time, watch your step. I don't want to make rescuing you a habit."

"This will be the last time," Jane promised, hobbling forward.

Neil followed, his steps light and airy despite his recent brush with death. Maybe things would go right, after all!

To Be Continued…


	3. Only the Strong Survive

LIFE'S RIVER SHALL RISE

Chapter Three

Only the Strong Survive

Year One: 2056-2057

Neil nearly missed reveille the next morning. Fortunately Jason, in the bunk below him, stole Neil's blanket and refused to let him get back to sleep once he finally reacted.

"So you did it, huh?" Jason asked as Neil wearily slid out of bed and mechanically began the morning routine.

"Yup." Neil rescued his blanket and proceeded to make his bunk.

"Were you scared?" Jason asked eagerly. Behind him, the older cadet Ted rolled his eyes.

"He was behind a barrier the whole time," Ted said calmly. "What's there to be frightened of?"

"Cadet Proudfoot," Neil and Jason said in unison.

Ted laughed. "All right, you got me there. She even scares some of the cadets in _my_ year group!"

Now that Neil had proven himself, the second-year Jason and Third-year Ted were warming up to him, it seemed. Unlike Michael Harrison, who was sullenly going about his own morning preparations. His brother had taken him two weeks ago. He'd made the shot - even Cadet Captain Harrison wasn't stupid enough to lie to cover for his brother - but he'd obviously been hoping Neil would prove to be a coward.

"The Phantoms are ugly bastards, aren't they?" Ted mused. "It's strange to actually see them. This close to the barrier, the energy rubs off on 'em and makes them visible. Just imagine fighting them under normal circumstances."

Neil shuddered. Fighting a foe you couldn't see had caused the death of millions already. "Spooky thought."

"I'm sure you can handle it," Michael snarled behind them. "After all, you're the Great Neil Fleming, and anything you can't fight off, your macho-chick girlfriend will kill for you."

Neil bristled, but refused to rise to the bait. The reminder, however, made him think of the previous night. Jane had nearly died... how was she? Just how badly had she been injured, anyway?

* * *

Her leg ached that morning, and Jane seriously considered skipping the morning exercises to go to the infirmary. The doctors were aware of the initiation rights and would ask no questions. Besides, her arms were sore from supporting her weight, and she was dead tired, too.

But a Deep Eyes soldier would face more strenuous conditions, and Jane refused to acknowledge any weakness. Only the strong survived in this world, and Jane wouldn't, couldn't be weak. So she followed her roommates out into the quad area, barely concealing her limp. She didn't fool Freddie, however; she could tell from the concerned glances the older girl kept giving her. Jane just braced herself against the pain and joined her year-group for the morning exercises. Neil, she noticed after a quick search, looked tired but none the worse for wear. Lucky bastard.

Stiffly, Jane began the morning warm-ups. Her jerky movements were obvious among the smooth motions of her fellows, however, and she had to struggle to keep up with them. _It's just a scratch,_ she told herself angrily. Maybe, but it hurt like hell. Skin had been scraped away along her thigh to just below her knee, with a deep, jagged scratch in the middle. She'd cleaned it and bandaged it a few hours before, but she began to doubt that was enough. _I just need to get through the drill, then the rest of the day will be easy._

Unfortunately, her body had other ideas. Her leg suddenly went numb under her, and she toppled over with a cry. A couple of the cadets snickered, and Jane fought back tears of pain and frustration. _Soldiers don't cry! Don't cry… never cry…_ She tried to get back to her feet, but the drill sergeant ordered her to lie still. When he saw the dark stain of blood on her pant leg, he swore and ordered a couple of cadets to carry her to the infirmary.

Carried… She'd never felt so embarrassed in her life. Two burly male cadets carefully lifted her and carried her away. Her face was flushed by the time she was handed over to the medic, and when he berated her for her carelessness, her embarrassment only worsened.

But her embarrassment was nothing to what she felt when the doctor had finished checking her over. The jagged edges of metal that had scraped her leg had caught on her knee, tearing a ligament. She was going to need surgery… and it would take weeks to heal.

"No…" Jane whispered with horror. "Not this…"

"It will heal, and be as strong as it ever was," the doctor assured her gruffly. "But only if you don't try anything stupid again. You should have come straight here after the accident. You're very lucky that you didn't further hurt yourself during the exercises."

She was a cripple… Her military career was ended before she'd even finished her second year! She was so overcome by her shame that she barely heard the doctor's assurances. Sure, she'd heal. But it would be a long time before she would be able to continue her physical training. _I won't cry… I won't!_

She only half listened as the doctor told her he was going to get a leg brace for her, and that she'd be on crutches for awhile. How could she bear this? There were cadets who would laugh to see her like this! Laugh at the great Jane Proudfoot, the general's daughter who was going to be a Deep Eyes soldier, who couldn't even walk around without assistance. Her shoulders shook as she fought to hold her tears, to keep from screaming at the unfairness. Yes, she could still attend classes, but what was the point? There would be no drills. No weapons class. No honing the skills she _really_ needed as a soldier.

Jane was silent as the doctor set up an appointment for her surgery in two days time. She didn't say anything as she listened to his instructions on caring for her wound. She only wanted out of there, and as soon as he dismissed her, she hobbled – _hobbled!_ – down the halls towards her room. She ignored the smirks and sniggers, the whispered comments as she awkwardly made her way down the corridors.

When she made it to her room, she collapsed on the nearest bunk and stared listlessly at the wall before her. It would be months before she would be well enough for anything. How was she going to survive?

* * * 

It hurt Neil to see Jane limping around like a cripple. Seeing the dejected look when her year-group went to fighting practice bothered him even more. It was his fault! Rumor had it she was going in for surgery on Saturday. Which meant she was hurt badly… very badly. She'd be missing out on half of her classes.

And she blamed him. At least, he assumed he did, from the bitter look she gave him when he'd offered to carry her books to class that morning during breakfast. She'd given him a frosty look and told him she wasn't attending classes that afternoon, then had ignored him. He couldn't blame her, really.

But he couldn't stop worrying about her. That afternoon, during one of the classes he'd shared with her, he'd been unable to keep his mind off her. His gaze had kept sliding towards the empty desk where she'd normally sat, and he'd been unable to concentrate on what the teacher had been saying. And he knew he'd failed the quiz.

By lunch, he couldn't take it any more. Rather than heading towards the cafeteria with the rest of his classmates, Neil slipped off to Jane's room. He knew where it was from his weeks of shadowing her, but he'd never entered before, and he hesitated outside the door. Could he do this? What could he say? Yes, he'd saved her life, but what was the price? Gathering his courage, Neil raised his fist to knock.

"I wouldn't," a voice warned him. Neil froze, turning towards the speaker. It was one of the older girls who roomed with Jane, Winnifred or something. The tall redhead was eying him coolly, and Neil cringed under her gaze. "She won't speak to anyone," the third-year continued. "I don't know what happened to you two down there, but it's probably best if you just stayed away from her." There was a strangely thick note to her voice as she added, softly, "She may not be here much longer."

Neil's heart dropped to his knees. Was it really that bad? From what Neil knew of Jane, she took her training seriously. Had her dreams been shattered because she'd been forced to take him out for some stupid ritual? It had been his fault she'd been so angry she hadn't been looking where she was going… how could he live with himself if she left the academy for good?

"Just leave her alone, Cadet Fleming. Go away." The older cadet turned her back on him, and walked away. Shoulders slumped, Neil went to his room. He didn't feel like eating… or facing any more accusations.

* * *

"How is your knee, Cadet?" Major Wilkes's voice was neutral, but Jane thought she could detect a note of concern. _And why shouldn't he be?_ she thought bitterly. A general's daughter was crippled under his care. _And he knows how I did it; knows how deadly the area beneath the city is, but he permits us to go down there anyway._ She shifted in her seat uncomfortably, wishing she could face the major on her feet.

"It hurts," she said bluntly. Her gaze slid to the crutches leaning against the chair, and she grimaced. She'd have to use them for so long… "The surgery went well, though" she added, knowing that was what the major was really asking. Though why he wanted to hear it from her, she didn't know. He already had the doctor's reports. What did he want to know about; the fear of being put under the knife? The knowledge of waking up in the recovery room and knowing she'd still have weeks of healing ahead of her? The hurt that so few people had cared? The messages from her parents had been so… short, so callous… As if she didn't matter at all. "I'll live."

"But it will be almost a month before you'll be able to take part in any physical activities," Major Wilkes said, coming straight to the point. "What are you going to do in that time?"

There it was; the question that had been nagging at Jane since she'd first come out of the doctor's office. Should she stay here and watch her fellows continue with their training while she sat on the sidelines, struggling with her homework and studies? Or should she call it quits and go home for the rest of the year?

Or forever? Her leg may never heal correctly, though the doctor seemed confident it would heal properly given time, if she followed his instructions. But what if it didn't? What was left for her if she couldn't be a soldier? It had been her dream ever since she'd been a child, watching her father with the ranks of soldiers under his command, looking so proud and heroic… doing more for the world than anyone else Jane had ever seen. How she'd longed to be one of them! But now… She was ruined before she'd even faced her first battle. Her family would understand her decision to go home, to give up and find another way to help… but she'd never forgive herself. That would be giving up, and soldiers never gave up.

"I want to stay, sir," Jane said softly. "If I'm not being a burden."

Major Wilkes actually smiled. "Your instructors say you're one of the best; I'd hate to lose you." Jane started at the major's praise. "Just be sure to keep up with the rest of your studies, and follow the doctor's orders to the letter!" he said sternly. "You'll be back with the other cadets in no time."

Jane smiled sadly. "Thank you, sir," she said, clumsily rising to her feet when it became obvious Wilkes wasn't going to say more. He gave her a salute, which she returned, then she hobbled out of the room with as much dignity as her crutches allowed.

Her almost-good mood lasted until she was halfway to her room, when her crutches caught on something and she tripped, falling to her knees with a cry. "My, my, aren't you a graceful one?" Jane looked up to see a grinning Peter Harrison, his brother Michael behind him. "Not so dangerous now, are you, savage?" he sneered. Jane bit back her angry retort as she fumbled for her crutches, trying to get to her feet. She waited for the Cadet Captain to further make her life hell, but he seemed satisfied with what he'd already done. He turned away, though his younger brother hesitated, his face almost… sympathetic? Then Michael went after his brother, though she thought she heard his voice say, "That was cruel even for you."

So the younger Harrison had a little compassion after all. But that did little to soothe Jane's rage and pain. Had she made the right decision?

A tear trickled down her cheek, and she angrily wiped it away. Don't cry, she repeated her mantra. Never cry. As another tear joined the first, she began to wonder if she was really strong enough to do this after all.

* * *

When Neil saw Jane sitting alone in the library, he tried to ignore her. She doesn't want to see me! he reminded himself. But he'd been avoiding her for nearly a week now, and it was the hardest thing he'd ever done. _Damn. I've fallen pretty hard for her…_

Jane was sitting at one of the computer tables off to the side, her crutches leaning against the edge. She was glaring at the projected monitor of one of the computers. A series of trigonometric equations were traced in the air before her in brilliant orange, and her frustrated expression was clearly visible in the illumination.

"Problem?" Neil asked, slipping into the seat beside her. She scowled; whether at the problem or him, he was uncertain. He suspected the latter.

"No," she said shortly. Her tone was reminiscent of their first meeting. _So we're back to square one…_

"Oh… then are you just inventing whole new ways to handle those formulas? I'd say you were a genius… if any of those actually worked."

Jane's only answer was a growl. Encouraged, Neil leaned forward and began to tap the equations. "If you do this… then this… and I don't know how you got that but it's way off; try doing this… Everything works in the end." He grinned at her cockily, then wondered if he'd overstepped his bounds. _She's right, I am a showoff!_

But her face was grudgingly respectful. "How did you do that?" she demanded.

He hesitated. "It's hard to explain. But I could tutor you, if you want," he added daringly.

Her serious dark eyes met his. "Do you really know this shit?" she asked.

"You're talking to someone whose mother was a mathematical genius. In fact, numbers were all she knew. She tried to explain the facts of life to me in binary. Took me awhile to figure out what she meant by 'putting the ones in the zeroes,' but once I did, I never looked at numbers the same way again."

To his surprise, she actually laughed. "That's not how you plan to tutor me, is it?" There was a hint of suspicion beneath her humor.

"I promise to keep math a dry, boring subject," Neil vowed solemnly.

"And what's in it for you?" Suddenly, all humor was gone, and her gaze was piercing. Time to tread cautiously.

"A chance to make it up to you. It's my fault you're hurt. Let me help you, for peace of mind." There was a plaintive note in his voice.

Jane was silent for a moment. "If it weren't for you, I would be dead," she said finally. "You saved my life down there. You don't owe me anything."

Neil didn't deserve that. "If you hadn't been angry with me – " he began.

"Those catwalks are rusted through in some places; anyone could have fallen at any time. I was lucky to have been with someone who was quick-thinking enough to help me." Jane sounded pained to admit it.

Neil didn't know how to answer. "Just let me help you," he said finally. "As your… friend."

Jane looked startled, and Neil cursed himself for pushing her too far. Stupid, stupid! I shouldn't push her… She's the kind who'll run away… or fight… "Friend," Jane repeated. Neil cringed, waiting for her anger, but it never came. "All right," she said. "I don't have anything better to do anyway," she added bitterly.

Well, Neil thought, it's a start.

 

 

To Be Continued…


End file.
